Ngozi Eze

Ngozi's village in Enugu State has a primary school, a secondary school, and a church. It does not have a university. The nearest city is an hour away by bus.

She scored 256 on JAMB — the highest score her secondary school had ever recorded. Her headteacher announced it at morning assembly. Her parents did not fully understand what it meant, but they understood that it was good.

Her pastor mentioned the Decagon programme during a Sunday sermon. She wrote down the name on the back of her church bulletin. She applied the following Tuesday from a cybercafé in town.

At Covenant University, she enrolled in Mass Communication. In her first semester, she submitted an opinion piece to the student newspaper. It was published. She has now published two.

She is the first person from her village to attend a private university. She says she will not be the last.